Status of George Stevens' "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1 Viewer)

[Paul Rossen]

2015 will be the 50th anniversary of Greatest Story. Hoping powers that be will release the restored uncut Cinerama roadshow print as presented at the Feb '65 premiere at the Warner Cinerama in NYC. I saw it a month later there and I think it had already been cut . Hope springs eternal

I beat you to it and saw the film the week it opened at the Warner Cinerama. Since this is MGM the same Co of THE Alamo fame I doubt that the premiere version of GSET will ever see the light of day.

 

[davidmatychuk]

I saw it as a boy in Vancouver on its (and my) first run. My mom took us to all the Biblical Hollywood movies, and while the Biblical thing never took hold of me, I still have a taste for the Hollywood thing. This was an impressive moviegoing experience, spectacular though it wasn't fun like James Bond, and at the time being in a movie theatre was so thrilling to me that I could have sat through it twice. No home video version yet suggests what lives on in my memory.

 

[Dr Griffin]

Awe truly, another John Wayne movie.

I did see it, more than once, at the Casino Cinerama and, My God, it did look achingly beautiful. However, I do agree it's a terrible strain on one's patience -all those laughable cameos and the incredible self-importance of the thing. My friend Derek Elley, in his eloquence defence of the film, described it as "Brucknerian" which makes sense if you know your music.

I always thought TGSET was more "Mahlerian" (conducted by Bernstein) , but your "Brucknerian" comment really struck a chord.

 

[Dee Zee]

I see a new blu-ray of GSET is on Amazon for release March 17, listed as 199 minutes. Is this a new transfer of the film, does anyone know?

 

[Jack P]

I heard nothing but poor reviews for the initial Blu-Ray release which is why I never got it so a new transfer that looks great in Blu-Ray would be most welcome.

 

[Allansfirebird]

Is this the one you're talking about, Dee Zee? http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Story-Ever-Told-Blu-ray/dp/B00S56OVHY/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1423503201&sr=1-3&keywords=The+Greatest+Story+Ever+Told


Reading the details a little closer, it looks like it's been dubbed into Spanish. I have a feeling it's just a re-release of the same transfer in a different language.

 

[Dee Zee]

Yes, that's the one my friend. I love this film but I've heard so many less than flattering things about the earlier blu ray reissue. At the price point which is $21 could this be a better transfer under the radar?

 

[OliverK]

Yes, that's the one my friend. I love this film but I've heard so many less than flattering things about the earlier blu ray reissue. At the price point which is $21 could this be a better transfer under the radar?

A new transfer would be a huge undertaking so I doubt that this would stay completely under the radar. I will definitely watch this space waiting for feedback but still think that they recycled the same artefact ridden mess they released before.


And yet I secretly hope that I am completely wrong here...

 

[Robin9]

A new transfer would be a huge undertaking so I doubt that this would stay completely under the radar. I will definitely watch this space waiting for feedback but still think that they recycled the same artefact ridden mess they released before.


And yet I secretly hope that I am completely wrong here...

"Secretly hope?" Why be secretive? Everyone hopes very much that you're wrong and that this is a new transfer presenting the film exactly as it looked when it first was new! Hoping and believing, of course, are not the same thing.

 

[OliverK]

"Secretly hope?" Why be secretive? Everyone hopes very much that you're wrong and that this is a new transfer presenting the film exactly as it looked when it first was new! Hoping and believing, of course, are not the same thing.

Maybe I worded it that way as it is unreasonable to hope for it without any indication that it will come true this time, but yes we can always hope

 

[Alan Tully]

Is this the one you're talking about, Dee Zee? http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Story-Ever-Told-Blu-ray/dp/B00S56OVHY/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1423503201&sr=1-3&keywords=The+Greatest+Story+Ever+Told


Reading the details a little closer, it looks like it's been dubbed into Spanish. I have a feeling it's just a re-release of the same transfer in a different language.

Looking at Amazon, it has English, French & Spanish languages, the same as the old release, but...it's $22! The old release is $13.39, moreover, you can buy a box of: Greatest Story, The Bible & The Robe for the same price, £13.39! If it's just the same old transfer (which it probably is), why would anyone spend all that money on it just to get a new cover?

 

[OliverK]

The cover looks about 2000% better than TUCES (The Ugliest Cover Ever Seen) that they used for the previous Blu-ray


My guess would be that in fact the old release sold out and that they produced a new run of discs.


But the mind boggles thinking that they may actually have revisited it even though this must be my least favorite movie shot in Ultra Panavision / Camera 65. If they did I just hope that Illuminate did not use its grain reduction technology this time, large format movies do not need it.

 

[marcco00]

i'm going to put this in my amazon cart, then wait and see.


i do love TGSET as good film making even if a tad slow, for the endless double-takes when you are recognizing almost every 1960's television actor in hollywood having a part in this film,


and of course for so many A list celebrities playing what are really bit parts!

 

[Joe Caps]

If that longer print is still at Library of Congress, it would be completely pink or faded to NO picture at all now.

I can't imagine MGM wanting to restore this.

It would be almost impossible. the normal way is to use the already transferred footage and just insert the missing stuff. But the two versions don't match.

Stevens kept changing the music track and the shorter the film got, the more of Newmans cut music was put back into the film.

Indeed, the standard short version, had Newmans own hallelujah chorus put back into the end of Act One only.

My dream project would be to hear ALL of Newmans music put back into the film, and the restoof the score redubbed at a higher level so that it makes some effect.


Indeed, the dvdws ( all of them) seem to be a remix as the score is slightly higher than it was. One of the cut pieces is mixed back in, when Uriah (sal Mineo) first walks. That piece was always deleted from the film.

But al;l of the cut music should be returned - the original music for the wise men, the Nativity. the scene where Christ is asked if he is the messiah and he says I Am !! All this music needs to be put back and the other music redubbed at a normal level.


INdeed, Stevens didthe same thing to Newman on Diary of anne Frank, HE moved around the music and dubbed most of it an an impossibly low level.

 

[Robin9]

i'm going to put this in my amazon cart, then wait and see.


i do love TGSET as good film making even if a tad slow, for the endless double-takes when you are recognizing almost every 1960's television actor in hollywood having a part in this film,


and of course for so many A list celebrities playing what are really bit parts!

If you don't cancel your order, please let us know how this disc presents the movie. If it's a high quality, new transfer, I'll buy the disc.

 

[Douglas R]

With the title in French and English, surely this is a Canadian version?

 

[bugsy-pal]

I've read a lot of negative stuff about this bluray. I have the Australian DVD, which I think would be very similar to the US version but with PAL speedup. Is the upgrade from DVD worth it? I'd like to see this again in better quality, but on the other hand don't like to support crap releases.

 

[OliverK]

I've read a lot of negative stuff about this bluray. I have the Australian DVD, which I think would be very similar to the US version but with PAL speedup. Is the upgrade from DVD worth it? I'd like to see this again in better quality, but on the other hand don't like to support crap releases.

As far as large format movies brought to Blu-ray go this is, to use your wording, about as crappy as possible without going below DVD quality,


So I would strongly suggest to wait for the new release - it MAY be better. And if it isn't better and you still feel the urge to watch you can always try to rent instead of buying.

 

[RolandL]

I've read a lot of negative stuff about this bluray. I have the Australian DVD, which I think would be very similar to the US version but with PAL speedup. Is the upgrade from DVD worth it? I'd like to see this again in better quality, but on the other hand don't like to support crap releases.

Blu-ray

Comparison to DVD

 

[Dr Griffin]

I never got this because of the bad PQ reviews. There seems to be a lot of chunky grain in those screencaps. Does it look good in motion, or are there clumps of frozen grain?